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Mutoh new ink disaster

Wraps ink

New Member
Has anyone tried the new inks that mutoh is releasing claiming to be the solution to all the falcon outdoor problems? They aren't working on my machine..Im still dropping colors during printing due to what I think is air coming in from where the cartridge punctures the needle that sucks the ink. We have been dealing with this now since april. It started when I got the new inks back in april and I couldnt get colors to match up and my prints started getting worse..then my colors started shifting in the middle of my prints. I called Mutoh and they said it was the capping station pads bought new ones for both printers...didn't work..then they told me to buy the complete maintenance station..didn't work ..was sent new and improved maintenance station with the mesh screens still not working...two different techs looked at the machines said there were no air leaks in the machine itself...now mutoh says I need to pay them $3,000 to send a mutoh tech and still wont realize there ink experiment didnt work...
 

randya

New Member
If there was a leak between the needle and the cartridge plug you should be seeing air bubbles in the lines.

Color shift in the middle of printing can be from cross-contamination, where it would start printing the wrong color and then shift to the right color after the contamination was cleared. This can be a cap issue.

Color shifts during printing can also be caused by nozzle drop outs, where it would start printing the correct color and then shift due to ink starvation in the head. This is typically dampers.

What kind of color shift are you seeing?
Nozzle drop outs?
If so do they come right back with a cleaning?

You say you've had two techs look at the machines, what was their take on your problem?

I assume that you are not under warranty?
 

Wraps ink

New Member
We have new complete maintenance stations from mutoh...the dampers are all holding inks...the techs seem to think its air from the cartridge but said they couldnt say too much..both machines are doing it..and they are different year models..thats why i blame it on the ink..I have replaced everything mutoh claimed to be the problem. and I cant get any answers from them..all I know is Im wasting a ton of money and materials dealing with this..here is a picture below
 

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I have no idea if its from the new inks or not but I put new carts in the other day and overnight the capping station wicked all my ink out and all over the darn floor... Only reason I bring this up is because I remember reading others having the same problem when they started using the new inks.
 

randya

New Member
We have new complete maintenance stations from mutoh...the dampers are all holding inks...the techs seem to think its air from the cartridge but said they couldnt say too much..both machines are doing it..and they are different year models..thats why i blame it on the ink..I have replaced everything mutoh claimed to be the problem. and I cant get any answers from them..all I know is Im wasting a ton of money and materials dealing with this..here is a picture below

It is sometimes very difficult, if not impossible, to diagnose issues long distance. Having two techs on location and not providing any real insight, can demonstrate how difficult it can be for someone here on the phone trying to diagnose the problem, with sometimes very limited information.

I assume from the picture that it starts printing the correct color and nozzles drop out. Is this correct?

Plugging dampers will hold ink, but may not feed it to the head fast enough, and might explaine what you are seeing.
This would point more to dampers, IMHO.
When was the last time dampers were replaced?
 

Wraps ink

New Member
I just think it's a little strange that I have two printers one is 2 years older than the other and they both started doing the same thing at the same time...which happened to be when the new inks came out in april...I heard that mutoh is testing out these cheaper inks on falcon users before they release them to other machines....I think its pretty crappy what they are doing its takes me twice as long to print a job now and uses twice as much material...the techs said they couldnt say anything for legal reasons..it had nothing to do with not knowing the problem..they checked all the dampers and said they were fine.
 

randya

New Member
Strange or not,

I assume from the picture that it starts printing the correct color and nozzles drop out. Is this correct?

When was the last time dampers were replaced?
 

Wraps ink

New Member
its not the dampers they have all be checked by two different techs....Ive replaced just about every part on the entire machine...its not a machine problem...you must work for mutoh cause you sound alot like them...never admitting mutoh screwed up with the inks
 

Tel

New Member
Just a thought but as you have replaced the stations already why not replace the dampers, afterall they cost very little in fact probably less than the cost of the material you have wasted in the photo. A word of warning be careful with them, a delicate touch is needed, but I think it is your problem, when dampers give problems it always seems to be after cartridge changes. Oh and I don't work for mutoh
regards
Tel
 

randya

New Member
The typical way to test dampers is to do some long print jobs and see if nozzles drop out during printing (ink starvation in the head). Nozzles drop outs and no bubbles in the ink line are typical of damper issues or leaks between the incoming line (o-ring/tubing/nut) and the damper or the damper and the head (broken nipple).

I seriously doubt that any tech in the field has the equipment to measure flow through dampers, I know we dont here at Mutoh.
 
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phototec

New Member
when dampers give problems it always seems to be after cartridge changes.Tel

Have you replaced the dampers?

Why don't you replace the dampers in only one machine and see if the problem goes away, if it doesn't, then that rules out the dampers as the source of the problem.

I truly think if it was the new ink, the problem would be constant and not just in some areas of the print.
 

Ghost Prophet

New Member
Regardless of the problem with the machine, and it does sound like a damper issue now, there is still a problem with Mutoh's new ink.
 

Wraps ink

New Member
ghost you are right..and I dont mind replacing dampers but I have spoken to at least 4 people with the same machines and they are doing the same thing...and they have replaced the dampers that's why I havent gone that route yet...but I will if I have to..I think the starvation of the heads are coming from the cartridges not seating well in the machine ...I just wish mutoh would handle the situation a little better... someone told me they ran tape across the back of the cartridges to hold them in tighter..I tried it and my machine has ran fine since, but its ridiculous to have to tape them in every time. Also the techs from calgraph said they have had to put 1 inch strips of PVC in the bottom of the cartridge holder so that the cartridge seals well into the machine...and when they tell me they have done 6 machines in one week that lets you know somethings going on....and thats why I havent ran to replace the dampers yet. Im just not convinced that they are the problem
 

Ghost Prophet

New Member
ghost you are right..and I dont mind replacing dampers but I have spoken to at least 4 people with the same machines and they are doing the same thing...and they have replaced the dampers that's why I havent gone that route yet...but I will if I have to..I think the starvation of the heads are coming from the cartridges not seating well in the machine ...I just wish mutoh would handle the situation a little better... someone told me they ran tape across the back of the cartridges to hold them in tighter..I tried it and my machine has ran fine since, but its ridiculous to have to tape them in every time. Also the techs from calgraph said they have had to put 1 inch strips of PVC in the bottom of the cartridge holder so that the cartridge seals well into the machine...and when they tell me they have done 6 machines in one week that lets you know somethings going on....and thats why I havent ran to replace the dampers yet. Im just not convinced that they are the problem

I folded some currogated plastic and wedged a piece under each of my cartridges, noticed a nice change for the better in my nozzle check. :)
 

Wraps ink

New Member
so are they gonna start selling a sheet of coroplast with each mutoh printer now...kinda like fixing an oil leak on your car with bubble gum...yeah lets just shove this in here and hope it works..when the manufacturer should be responsible for fixing it right..not making people put foreign objects into their machines just to make them work .I guess I just have a different outlook on this...
 

Wraps ink

New Member
right now we are using the valuejet inks...they are still the original cartridges and ink. you just have to remove the plastic chip and put the chrome sticker on the side...we have used them for a whole day and no problems yet...Im having to run my machine using only CMYK since the valuejets use 4 color and the falcons have 6.
 

chrisphilipps

Merchant Member
The ValueJet 2606 104" uses the Lt. Cyan (Part #11484-0001) and Lt. Magenta (Part #11485-0001). The only issue would be that they are 440ml only.
 

Flame

New Member
so are they gonna start selling a sheet of coroplast with each mutoh printer now...kinda like fixing an oil leak on your car with bubble gum...yeah lets just shove this in here and hope it works..when the manufacturer should be responsible for fixing it right..not making people put foreign objects into their machines just to make them work .I guess I just have a different outlook on this...

That outlook could lose you the chance at some valuable advice. When in trouble, it's always best to play nice :)
 

SE SignSupply

New Member
right now we are using the valuejet inks...they are still the original cartridges and ink. you just have to remove the plastic chip and put the chrome sticker on the side...we have used them for a whole day and no problems yet...Im having to run my machine using only CMYK since the valuejets use 4 color and the falcons have 6.

:thumb:
 

Newbie_on

New Member
so are they gonna start selling a sheet of coroplast with each mutoh printer now...kinda like fixing an oil leak on your car with bubble gum...

:ROFLMAO:

BTW, Mutoh emended. They got new Ink cartridges according to my Sign supplier.

I'm still using VJ or Roland Inks though...
Getting ready to sell my lovely FOjr.
 
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